Idaho semi-weekly world. [volume] (Idaho City, Idaho Territory) 1875-1908, 1887-11-22
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q SURGEONS LEE.
= rage or Two From the Experience Of
Famous PhysIoao

Famous Physician.
l have always maintained that IL |,
impossible for any man to be a preal
surgeon If he is destitute, even in con
siderable degree, of the finer feelings Of
our nature. l have often lain awake TO,
hours the night before an important
operation. and suffered great mental dis.
trcss for days after 1t was over. until Il
was certain that my patient was out Of
danger. l do not think that it is pos
slble tor criminal to feel much worse
The night before his execution than
surgeon when he knows that upon hi,
skill and attention must depend tn,
late OF a valuable citizen, husband.
FATHER mother or child. Surgery under
such circumstances is terrible task.
master. feeding like vulture upon
man yitals. 1t is surprising that any
surgeon in large practice should ever
attain to respectable old are, so great
are the wear and tear of mind and boJy.
The world has seen many Il sad pict.
ure. will draw one of the surgeon.
1t is midday; the sun is bright and beau
tiful; all nature is redolent of joy; men
anu women crowd the street, arrayed
In their best. and all. apparently. i.
peace and happiness within and with.
ont In large house, almost over.
hanging this street SO full OF life and
Sayety, lies upon a couch an emaciated
hgure. once one OF the sweetest AMI
loyeliest OF her sex, a confiding and af
fectionate wife, and the adored mother
OF numerous children, the subject of a
frightful disease of one of her limbs, or.
it may be. of her jaw. if not of still
more important part OF her body. In
an adjoining room is the surgeon, with
his assistants. spreading out his instru-
ments and getting things in readiness
for the impending operation. He as
signs to each his appropriate place
One administers chloroform; another
takes charge Of the limb; one screw
down the tourniquet upon the principal
artery. and another holds himself in
readiness to follow the knife with the
sponge. The flaps are soon formed
the bone severed, the vessels tied, and
the huge wound appropriated. The
woman is pale and CHASTITY. the pulse
hardly perceptible, the skin wet with
clammy perspiration, the voice hushed,
the sight indistinct. Some one whis.
pers into the ear of the busy surgeon:
THE patient, fear. is dying" Re-
storatives are administered, the pulse
gradually rises. and after few hours
of hard work and terrible anxiety reac-
ton occurs. The poor woman was only
faint from the joint influence of the
an@sthetic, shock and loss of blood. An
assistant, kind Of sentinel, is placed
as a guard over her, with instructions
to watch her with the closest care, and
to send word the moment the slightest
change for the worse is perceived.
The surgeon goes about his business,
visits other patients on the way, and at
length, long after the usual hour, he
sits down, worried and exhausted, to
his cold and comfortless meal, with L
mouth almost as dry and voice a.
husky as his patients. He eats me-
chanically, exchanges hardly word
with any member of his family. and
sullenly retires to his study, to pre-
scribe for his patients--never, during
all this time, forgetting the poor mutt
lated object he left a few hours ago
He is about to lie down to get mo-
ment's repose after the severe toll OF
the day, when suddenly he hears q
loud ring of the bell and servant
GREATNESS with excitement, begs his
immediate presence at the sick chamber
with the exclamation: They think
Mrs. - is dying" He hurries to the
scene with rapid pace and anxious feel
ing. The stump is of crimson color
and the patient lies in profound
swoon. An artery has suddenly giver
way, tile exhaustion is extreme; cor
dials and stimulants are Mt once
brought into requisition, the dressing:
are removed and the reousant vessel is
promptly secured.
The vital current GIBBS and flows, re.
action is still more tardy than before
| and it is not until late hour of the
I
night that the surgeon, literally worr
| out in mind and body, retires to hi.
home in search of repose. Does he
sleepP He tries, but he can not Close
his eyes. His mind is with his patient
he hears every footstep upon the pave
ment under his window. and is in mo
mentary expectation of the ringing O.
the night-belL He is disturbed by tn,
widest fancies, he sees the most terrific
objects. and, as he rises early in thu
morning to hasten to his patient
chamber, he feels that he has beer
| cheated of the rest of which he stooC
so much in need. Is this picture over
drawn? | have sat for it thousan'
times, and there is not an educated
conscientious surgeon that will not Ger
tify to its accuracy.-A~tobIography Q
the late DR.. Gross.
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